Lessons You Didn’t Know You Already Knew - from Surfing
#1 - Surfing In Cold Water and Hard Work
Picture this with me:
It’s the middle of a workday in the office or on the site, your board is in the car, and you know a south swell just arrived this morning. We take what we can get, even if it’s only shoulder high (overhead when you tell your friends about it). Sure, this swell is not historic, but your boss is being annoying, so you’re jonesin’ to clock out! The water temps are 60°F (15°C).
You realise that you didn’t bring your wetsuit and you only have your boardshorts in the trunk. You know it’ll be cold, but it’ll be worth it! You decide to power through that hurdle in hopes of one good wave. You get to the beach and you dread that feeling when your toes first touch the water: “ice!” After two minutes your feet warm up to it so you start walking deeper (actually, your toes just got numb so you don’t feel the cold anymore-it’s the same right?).
Now you’re in knee-high water, looking out to the ocean, board under your arm, and start wondering if you need to just wait until you have your full suit next week. Then, oh… then... a whitewash wave is coming your way. The inescapable happens: you have to drop the bits in and “ahh!” ~ the absolute worst part about getting in the water.
So now what? You’re waist-deep in the water and trying to not think about the cold. You just have to say, “Screw it!” Jump all in and start paddling as hard as you can! The harder you paddle, then the quicker you’ll warm up! That’s the only way around it.
You paddle to the lineup (praying you don’t have to duck-dive and get brain freeze). You know that if you keep your mind on the waves, then you’ll forget about the cold and the fact that you might need reconstructive surgery if you ever want to have kids again.
I recently watched a documentary on surfing in Alaska and Iceland. The water temps are below freezing! What in the world draws these guys to do that? It’s a little crazy. The DSM-5 might have a diagnosis for that behavior.
But here’s the thing you didn’t know you knew because you surf:
Hard work is worth even average payouts
Surfers don’t give attention to obstacles (like the cold water), surfers give energy to achieving the goal, even a small goal (like 2-4 foot waves on a Tuesday afternoon).
Good work is indifferent to your feelings.
You have to “man up” and get things done. What is a more genuine reflection of that than surfing? We have a misconception that we need to convince our minds of something first, then the body follows suit. But sometimes when we force our bodies to behave, our minds eventually tag along. And that’s good. It’s a physical metaphor for a greater principle. A surfer doesn’t emphasize what’s stopping him or her in his or her goals (like freezing water). You literally, behaviorally, overcome that obstacle as a surfer even when your mind makes a thousand excuses.
Success is not a matter of making the water around you warm
(though there are ways to do that),
but about paddling for your goal, staying humble, and working hard and smart.
Second Thessalonians 3:10 says, “if anyone does not want to work, neither should he eat” (LEB). Like surfing, good works are something for which we have to consciously strive. Whether 7 or 70, surfing forces you to work through obstacles for just a few short moments of payoff. The funny thing is that you might even forget about those obstacles as you pass by them. Have you ever seen a surfer on a wave trying to warm his hands? No. He’s focused on a goal, not even thinking about it. Here, the goal was riding a good wave. And we all know the euphoria of accomplishing it. It’s fun. It’s stoke. The elements are healing. It was only four feet—I mean, “probably overhead,” but again:
hard work is worth even average payouts.
Hey, your worst day surfing is still a good day. In the same way, exhausting your energy to accomplish your goals speaks about your integrity a thousand times more than your excuses.
No one ever built a reputation based on what they intended to do.
Surfing, just like the achieving of your goals, puts you at face with your three greatest threats:
● Nature
● Yourself
● God
If you’re doing it the wrong way. These threats become your support if you are striving for the right things in the right way. To respect nature, to face your limits, and to honor God’s power and goodness are the right ways to do it.
Surfers know this so well because the water temps are always below your body temperature (usually 20-45°F less). But you work hard, anyway. If you don’t…
the wave will not come catch you.
Man up. Paddle hard. Paddle in the right direction. Be good. Do good.
Cheyne Rippey grew up in the waters of the Pacific. He once surfed and snowboarded on the same day. Ex-agnostic Cheyne turned theist after he realized how much science can't explain. Check out how to discover your gifts & calling or contact him at createdforgoodwork.org